4 Risks Smoking Poses to your Home

Consumers who've made the move to the electronic cigarette are often aware of the improvements it can make to their lifestyles, but many may not be as aware of the benefits that their homes can experience from abandoning traditional cigarettes. Traditional cigarettes of course pose immense risks to the smoker's health and to the health of their friends and family members, but they also do extensive harm to one's home.

The chemicals in traditional cigarettes react with a variety of materials in the household, and as occurs with any fire in the home, the act of smoking a cigarette creates a physical risk to the home. Here are four threats to your home that are worth considering as you choose whether to purchase an e-cigarette for vaping or a more traditional tobacco product for smoking.

Fire risks

Smoking a traditional cigarette in the home is fundamentally lighting an open fire. The traditional cigarette poses an increased risk that the smoker's house will burn down due to carelessness or indiscretion. According to the U.S. Fire Administration, almost 1,000 smokers die every year due to preventable fires caused by smoking in the home. Many thousands more escape with their lives only to watch all of the value they have tied up in their homes go up in flames.

Since the fire may be considered preventable, it's also possible that the insurance company will note the smoking behavior if a claim is filed, and this increases the likelihood that any resulting claim from the fire might be rejected or reduced. E-cigarette consumers don't face this risk, since the product merely produces vapor that's inhaled rather than fire and smoke.

Long-term damage to walls, ceilings, windows and furniture

The chemicals and materials in cigarettes have a propensity to accumulate and react with just about everything inside a home. This leads to a dulling film forming on the outside of paints and glasses within the house. This film is chemically reactive with a number of those surfaces, and in some cases, such as with sheetrock, will become permanently embedded. The home can develop a permanent smell from being inhabited by a smoker, and that fact can reduce the long-term resale value of the residence.

Anyone who's ever known someone who fell asleep smoking will also recall the tell-tale signs of such behavior: the appearance of tiny holes in upholstered furniture or burn marks on wood or plastic furniture. In addition to being a source of fire risks, these marks quickly degrade the value of the furniture in one's home.

E-cigarette vapors are cool enough that the consumer needn't worry about such risks.

Electronics

Every computer owner is already aware that their electronic devices are virtual magnets for dust and dirt in their homes. Traditional tobacco smoking only adds to the mess. This mixture of dust and tar can be especially problematic inside a computer, which required free airflow in order to stay cool. Screens also become dull and less readable because of residue from tobacco smoke, and this can be especially troublesome on today's touch-driven devices like smartphones and tablets. E-cigs don't produce these residues.

HVAC units

Similar to the troubles that computers experience, heating and air conditioning systems require a free and clean flow of air. The reduction of this flow can result in significant drops in efficiency or breakdowns. As occurs with paints and sheetrock in the home, the smell can also become permanently embedded, and this time there's a system blowing the scent directly into the noses of potential home buyers. E-cigarette vapors don't accumulate like this.